Atalanta are reportedly eyeing a move for Liverpool flop Federico Chiesa – but only if they can sell star player Ademola Lookman this summer.

Chiesa linked with Serie A returnAtalanta eye Liverpool flopNeed to sell Lookman firstFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

claim Ivan Juric's side are trying to sell Lookman for €50 million ($43.5m), with Inter said to be keen on the winger. The report adds that if they sell the former Fulham man, they will use around €15m (£13m) of that fee to sign Liverpool's Chiesa.

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There was a great deal of excitement following Chiesa's switch from Juventus to Liverpool last summer but the 27-year-old has arguably not even justified the paltry £12.5 million ($17) forked out to sign him. Injuries and poor form have meant he's struggled at Anfield and a Serie A return has long been mooted. It may be best for both parties to go separate ways.

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Chiesa, who is not travelling with Liverpool's first-team squad to Asia due to a minor injury, has been linked with a Juventus return in addition to Napoli and Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce. The Italy international has desires to play in next year's World Cup but to do that he needs game time – something he'll struggle to get at Liverpool.

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While Chiesa waits to see if a summer transfer move can become a reality, Liverpool are preparing to face AC Milan in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, followed by clashes with Yokohama FM and Athletic Club in the coming fortnight.

Both players are uncapped in Test cricket, while Bahir Shah, who was part of the side in Sri Lanka, finds a spot again

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2024Wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz is in line for a potential Test debut after being named in Afghanistan’s squad for the one-off Test against Ireland, which begins on February 28 in Abu Dhabi. Legspinner Khalil Gurbaz, also uncapped, and who has played only ten first-class matches so far, has broken into the 16-member Test squad too.Khalil has picked up 40 wickets in those ten games at an average of 28.52 and an economy rate of 3.72. Fast bowler Mohammad Ibrahim was recalled after having been part of the squad for the Bangladesh tour in June last year. Ibrahim, 25, is also uncapped in Test cricket.Yamin Ahmadzai and Mohammad Salim, who were both part of Afghanistan’s most recent squad for the one-off Test against Sri Lanka, missed out this time because of injuries. Bahir Shah, who averages 60.90 after 40 first-class matches, which includes a solitary Test, though, finds a spot in the side.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”The team underwent a 10-day conditioning camp in Abu Dhabi, which featured 22 players and all the support staff to work with the players, and ensured full preparation for the series,” Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, ACB’s interim chief selector, said in a statement. “We have thoroughly monitored the proceedings and have picked the squad which includes several new faces who have excelled well during the recent domestic events.”Mohammad Ishaq, who was the reserve wicketkeeper during the one-off Test against Sri Lanka, and wristspinner Qais Ahmad, who featured in the Colombo Test, were left out. Qais had leaked 98 runs in 22 overs for two wickets at an economy rate of almost 4.50 in Sri Lanka’s first innings.This will be Afghanistan’s second Test match against Ireland – they had beaten them in March 2019 for their first-ever Test win. Apart from this one-off Test, Afghanistan are scheduled to play five more Tests this year.”We have quite a good playing history with Ireland. Both countries have played plenty of cricket against each other and have been granted ICC Full Membership at the same time,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said. “This will be our second Test against them, and we are eagerly looking forward to what will be an exciting Test match between the two teams.”We will also be playing Tests against Bangladesh, New Zealand [for the first time] and Zimbabwe later in the year, so we are looking forward to building a formidable line-up for the Test matches ahead.”Afghanistan squadHashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Ikram Alikhail (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Abdul Malik, Bahir Shah, Nasir Jamal, Karim Janat, Khalil Gurbaz, Zahir Khan, Zia-Ur-Rehman, Nijat Masood, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Naveed Zadran

Jesse Lingard may have scored the goal of his career with a thunderous 25-yard volley that handed FC Seoul a crucial 1-0 win over Ulsan. The former Manchester United star delivered a moment of magic late in the first half to keep his side firmly in the hunt for a K League 1 playoff spot.

• Lingard scores stunning volley in 1-0 win
• FC Seoul rise to fourth in playoff race in K League 1
• Lingard labels it one of his best goals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lingard produced a moment of brilliance in the 42nd minute, smashing home a stunning volley from way outside the box after Ulsan failed to clear a cross and his team-mate headed the ball back into his path. That special strike proved to be the only goal of the game, securing three valuable points for FC Seoul. It marked the Englishman's fifth goal of the 2025 season and came during a strong run of form.

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• WHAT LINGARD SAID

  Speaking to the media after the game, Lingard said: “In common terms, it felt like the ball was right on my foot. At that moment, I felt, ‘This is a goal,’ or ‘The goalkeeper will be in trouble.’ I think my confidence just surged.

  "I personally think it will be among the top five goals of my life. My shot was good, but Hwang Do-yoon's pass was excellent. I will continue to train hard to not only help the team but also to show my best performance consistently."

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  With the result against Ulsan, FC Seoul have now climbed into fourth place in the K League 1 table, strengthening their chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Ulsan, now sitting seventh, missed the chance to close the gap and remain just outside the top six. Lingard’s resurgence is proving vital to Seoul’s late-season push.

Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Amy Jones are among the England players who will on the block in next month’s draft for the 2024 Hundred, after player retentions for the eight teams were confirmed.Roy was one of the most high-profile names among those released, having helped Oval Invincibles to win the men’s competition last year. Roy averaged 17.11 with a strike rate of 128.33 and his expected involvement in Major League Cricket – which will clash with the Hundred in 2024 – is likely to have been a factor. Invincibles also opted not to retain two of their overseas players, Sunil Narine and Heinrich Klaasen, both of whom featured in the first edition of MLC.There will, however, be an overlap of talent at the Hundred and MLC, with Rashid Khan (Trent Rockets), Finn Allen (Southern Brave), Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire), Adam Zampa and Spencer Johnson (both Oval Invincibles) all retained for this summer despite their involvement in the US, and other names likely to appear in the final draft list, which will be confirmed on Monday.Related

• Warner, Williamson, Mandhana among overseas talent in Hundred draft

• Hundred faces MLC clash as 2024 fixtures are announced

• Mark Chapman, Manchester Originals chair: 'The ECB aren't talking to Hundred boards'

Malan and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were among the top earners at Trent Rockets but both will go back into the pool, as will Tom Banton, who was not retained by Northern Superchargers. Ollie Pope, who has an ECB red-ball central contract, was not retained by Welsh Fire.In the women’s competition, where the three highest pay bands have received a significant boost, there will be seven spots to fill in the top £50,000 bracket. Jones, England’s first-choice wicketkeeper, was let go by Birmingham Phoenix, while the retirements of Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole have opened up spaces at Rockets and Southern Brave respectively.Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine (both Phoenix), Marizanne Kapp (Invincibles), Phoebe Litchfield (Superchargers), Hayley Matthews and Shabnim Ismail (both Fire) are among the overseas players who will be coming back.In all, 137 players have been retained – men’s teams could retain up to 10 players, women’s teams eight – with 75 spots to be filled via the draft on the March 20. Northern Superchargers, who finished last in 2023, will have the first pick in the men’s draft, with Birmingham Phoenix starting things off in the women’s.Teams will each have one Right-to-Match card at their disposal, allowing them to re-sign a player who was in their squad last year, as long as they match the salary band of the rival team bidding in the draft.The Hundred will get going on July 23 with a double-header at The Oval and run for four weeks, with the finals to be held at Lord’s on August 18.

Retained players

Birmingham Phoenix Women: Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Hannah Baker, Sterre Kalis, Charis PavelyBirmingham Phoenix Men: Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Jamie Smith, Will Smeed, Tom Helm, Jacob BethellLondon Spirit Women: Heather Knight, Grace Harris, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Georgia Redmayne, Sophie Munro, Tara NorrisLondon Spirit Men: Zak Crawley, Nathan Ellis, Dan Lawrence, Dan Worrall, Liam Dawson, Adam Rossington, Olly Stone, Matt Critchley, Daniel Bell-DrummondManchester Originals Women: Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt, Emma Lamb, Mahika Gaur, Fi Morris, Kathryn Bryce, Ellie Threlkeld, Liberty HeapManchester Originals Men: Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton, Phil Salt, Paul Walter, Tom Hartley, Usama Mir, Wayne Madsen, Josh Tongue, Max Holden, Fred Klaassen, Mitchell StanleyNorthern Superchargers Women: Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Bess Heath, Linsey Smith, Alice Davidson-Richards, Hollie Armitage, Marie KellyNorthern Superchargers Men: Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, Reece Topley, Matthew Short, Brydon Carse, Adam Hose, Matthew Potts, Callum Parkinson, Ollie RobinsonOval Invincibles Women: Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers, Paige Schofield, Sophia Smale, Ryana MacDonald-GayOval Invincibles Men: Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Adam Zampa, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson, Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood, Spencer Johnson, Nathan Sowter, Tawanda MuyeyeSouthern Brave Women: Danni Wyatt, Chloe Tryon, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp, Georgia Adams, Rhianna Southby, Mary TaylorSouthern Brave Men: Jofra Archer, James Vince, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Leus Du Plooy, Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton, Finn Allen, George Garton, Alex DaviesTrent Rockets Women: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alana King, Bryony Smith, Kirstie Gordon, Alexa Stonehouse, Grace PottsTrent Rockets Men: Joe Root, Rashid Khan, Alex Hales, Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, John Turner, Sam Hain, Sam CookWelsh Fire Women: Hayley Matthews, Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail, Tammy Beaumont, Georgia Elwiss, Sarah Bryce, Freya Davies, Emily WindsorWelsh Fire Men: Jonny Bairstow, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Haris Rauf, Tom Abell, David Payne, Glenn Phillips, Luke Wells, Roelof Van der Merwe, Stephen Eskinazi, Chris Cook

Lance Morris picked up a side strain against West Indies but would not have made the squad

Andrew McGlashan08-Feb-20242:14

Is Matt Renshaw still the next Test batter in line?

Michael Neser has been recalled to Australia’s Test squad for the tour of New Zealand with the selectors taking a horses-for-courses approach based on conditions they expect across the Tasman in what is otherwise a very settled group for the two-match series.Neser has often been around the Australia set-up in recent years and was part of the World Test Championship final squad last year. His two Tests have both come in Adelaide – against England in 2021-22 and West Indies the following season. His Sheffield Shield numbers are significantly down this season with nine wickets at 50.33 but he is viewed as an ideal bowler for New Zealand while his ever-improving batting adds another element.”It’s great to see Michael Neser get another opportunity in the squad following his ever-consistent performances over a long period of time and the conditions we expect,” national selector George Bailey said.Related

• Renshaw misses again as Bell six-for skittles Queensland

• Mitchell ruled out of second South Africa Test and Australia T20Is

Lance Morris picked up a side strain during the third ODI against West Indies in Canberra, but Bailey indicated he would not have made the trip as back up to Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The expectation is that those three will play both Tests against New Zealand – along with Nathan Lyon making it seven Tests in a row for the frontline bowlers – but Neser and Scott Boland will provide the support.”We’d be looking at a different type of fast bowler,” Bailey said. “The luxury of this tour only being in New Zealand, it’s not a massive trip, so a number of players in specific roles that if we do need to get them across that it’s not too much of a challenge, so Lance would have been in that boat.”The new-look batting order that came together against West Indies, with Steven Smith opening and Cameron Green at No. 4, will be given at least two more matches to settle in. After the New Zealand tour Australia have a long gap in Test cricket before the arrival of India for next summer’s five-match home series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Matt Renshaw has retained his spot as the reserve batter having been earmarked as the next in line amid the reshuffle that followed David Warner’s retirement.The overall squad is relatively small at 14 names with the short flight between the two countries meaning replacements could come in reasonably easily. However, it could leave Australia a little exposed if an injury occurred shortly before a match or in the event of a concussion during a game especially around the wicketkeeper or spin bowler with no direct cover for Alex Carey or Nathan Lyon.New Zealand are currently top of the World Test Championship following their opening victory over South Africa and will expect to consolidate that in Hamilton. The upcoming tour has grown in significance for Australia have they lost to West Indies at the Gabba.”As we know every Test match provides vital opportunities to obtain valuable WTC points and we expect this tour will be a tough challenge against a very strong side who have been so consistent at home for a long period of time,” Bailey said.The first Test begins in Wellington on February 29 followed by the second in Christchurch on March 8.

The duo added 97 for the second wicket after Sugandika Kumari picked up three wickets with the ball

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2024Sri Lanka, with Sugandika Kumari leading the way with the ball and Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama slamming quick half-centuries, came from behind to win a historic women’s bilateral T20I series for the first time against South Africa. The four-wicket win in the decider on Wednesday meant they took home the three-T20I series 2-1.Chasing 156 for victory, Sri Lanka lost Vishmi Gunaratne in the second over for 1, but then had a 97-run stand between Athapaththu and Samarawickrama, which took them to 102, leaving them with just 54 to get from 7.2 overs.Athapaththu took the lead in the run-scoring. She hit 73 in 46 balls, with seven fours and five sixes, at East London’s Buffalo Park, to put Sri Lanka in the ascendance. Samarawickrama was an able ally, as she scored 54 not out in 43 balls, helping Sri Lanka get in front alongside Athapaththu and then completing the job after a bit of a rush of wickets, with five balls to spare.Related

Wolvaardt overcomes self-doubt to lead her country

Earlier, after South Africa were asked to bat at the toss, Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk took the lead with the bat, with Anneke Bosch chipping in with a useful cameo.Up top, Tazmin Brits was the quiet partner in a 37-run stand with Wolvaardt, scoring just 7. The trend continued, with Wolvaardt dominating small stands with Marizanne Kapp and Sune Luus, before Wolvaardt and Bosch added 32 in just under five overs. Bosch made 27 in 21 balls with three fours and a six off Athapaththu.Then came the Wolvaardt-de Klerk partnership, worth 54, in just under six overs, that put South Africa in a strong position. It ended when Kumari, Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler on the night, sent Wolvaardt back for a 47-ball 56. For Wolvaardt, who came into the game on the back of her first T20I century in the series-opener, it was the 11th half-century in the format.Kumari, who had earlier sent back Brits, added Eliz-mari Marx’s wicket to her bag to finish with 3 for 24. Inoshi Priyadharshani (1 for 18) and Kavisha Dilhari (1 for 22) were impressive with the ball too.The Sri Lankans will next play a 50 overs-a-side tour game against a South African XI on Saturday before the ODIs start on April 9.

Marc Cucurella has been linked with Al-Nassr but is considered unlikely to leave Chelsea, according to the the latest reporting.

• Chelsea clear on Cucurella transfer
• CR7 rumoured to be pushing Al-Nassr interest
• Left-back among Blues' most important players

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  reports that Chelsea have "no intention" of parting ways with Cucurella, despite links with Al-Nassr. The Spain international has become a crucial part of Enzo Maresca's team at Stamford Bridge, after initially struggling when he joined from Brighton for big money in 2022.

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  Cristiano Ronaldo was credited as the source of Al-Nassr interest, thought to have personally told the Saudi Pro League club to pursue Cucurella. It comes after Al-Nassr agreed a deal with Chelsea for the permanent transfer of Joao Felix, Ronaldo's Portugal teammate who has already started training with the club, despite no official announcement of his move.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cucurella made 54 appearances for Chelsea across the 2024-25 season, including nine in the UEFA Conference League and six in the FIFA Club World Cup. His 4,346 minutes on the pitch was the most out of anyone in the squad, leading Moises Caicedo (4,289) and Cole Palmer (4,247).

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  Due to Club World Cup involvement, Chelsea only finished their 2024-25 season on July 13. The chance to rest for Cucurella and others will be very short, with a reported pre-season state date of August 4. The Blues have organised friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan at Stamford Bridge on August 8 and 10, respectively, before their Premier League campaign begins against Crystal Palace just a week later – barely more than a month since lifting the Club World Cup trophy.

Cricinfo and Wisden writers pick their best and worst moments from 2005

03-Jan-2006

Rabeed Imam

Best
January 10, post lunch session at Chittagong. Mashrafe bin-Mortaza is on the edge of his run up with the last Zimbabwean pair at the crease. Bangladesh are just a wicket away from ending their five-year wait for an elusive first Test win. Mortaza takes a few steps forward, stops and then goes back to the top of his mark again. Another attempt to begin the run up also fails as tries in vain to hold back tears. It seemingly takes an eternity for Mortaza to finally finish that delivery and although it did not fetch him the wicket, those few seconds of inimitable emotion epitomised Mortaza’s own struggles, overcoming immense odds, chasing dreams and turning them into reality.Worst
Brimming with the confidence gained from that now legendary triumph against Australia, Bangladesh headed for Sri Lanka hoping to spring a surprise or two. The first warning came in the three-match ODI series in which they lost all the games handsomely. However, things looked rosy on day one of the first Test at Colombo as Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful dictated terms. Bangladesh reached 155 for 2 and then Ashraful played an outrageous shot to hole out at extra cover. It was a totally unnecessary and irresponsible act and that moment of indiscretion wrote the series script for Bangladesh. The next seven wickets went down for 33 and the Tigers never reached 200 in the remaining three innings.

Sriram Veera

Best
October 25, 2005 Sachin Tendulkar returns after eight months of endless visits to air conditioned clinics and what a return it was. Dancing down the track to Murali, pulling the medium pacers and once amazingly at the very last minute, he changed from an intended reverse sweep to an orthodox one. News filtered in later that during those dark eight months he had even thought about quitting. With that backdrop those two ODI innings against the Lankans were a joy. It was like suddenly bumping into your old true love and reliving some magical moments, but you are left with a mixed reaction; will she come back to you or is it just a one-off. 2006 will provide us with the answer.Worst
The continuing crisis in West Indies cricket; the player contracts issue, sponsorship conflicts, board mismanagement and even when a ray of hope was offered by the billionaire Stanford, the reluctance shown by the different regions to accept the terms and the lack of vision to see beyond Chanderpaul for a leader. There has been collapse all round; public sector failure, mismanagement; the greed of private enterprise, holding the players to ransom. The great calypso music has now turned into a dirge, Lara alone turns on some style with a little bit of help from a young new Bravo but it’s not enough to satisfy.

A closely contested and wonderful Test series has been marred by Ian Howell’s poor umpiring

Sambit Bal12-Aug-2007

Wide of the mark: Ian Howell had a dreadful time at Trent Bridge, and has made plenty of mistakes at The Oval as well © Getty Images
It is a pity that matters outside bat and ball should continue to spoil what has so far been wonderful advertisement for Test cricket. The first Test was decided by the weather, and the second, which was won by a skilful and determined performance by the Indians, was overshadowed by jelly beans, player behaviour and inconsistent umpiring. And it will be a tragedy if umpiring becomes a decisive factor in this Test.Umpires deserve plenty of sympathy. Theirs is a thankless vocation and they are noticed only for their mistakes. Their actions are judged and damned by experts, journalists, and millions of viewers who now have the benefit of hugely sophisticated cameras and technologies such as Snickometer and Hotspot. But still, it’s not that difficult to tell when an umpire is not up to it.Simon Taufel, who invited the wrath of Indian supporters for denying Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly well-earned hundreds at Trent Bridge, is a good umpire who had an ordinary match. But it is difficult to say the same about his colleague in that Test. Ian Howell had a dreadful match at Trent Bridge, and it has only got worse at The Oval. It can be considered poor taste to pun on someone’s name, but given the number of he has made in the last two Tests, Howell has brought it upon himself.The ICC has a system in place to assess every decision an umpire makes during a match, and it is often trotted out that umpires get over 90 per cent of the decisions right. Of course, considering that they track every appeal and that teams are appeal-happy these days, Howell might still end up with fairly high percentage. But to anybody who has followed his finger, Howell has got more decisions wrong than right when it really mattered.Few things can be worse for cricketers, batsmen and bowlers alike, than to play in the knowledge that their fate hangs in the hand of an adjudicator who is consistently inconsistent. There are not-outers, none more famous than the legendary Dickie Bird, there are those who are trigger-happy – Dave Orchard springs to mind – there are those who are conservative about front-foot lbws and there are ones who are spinner-friendly. In many instances, umpires go by the pitch, and are likely to adjudge lbws on the basis of bounce. At Perth, for instance, batsmen can leave the ball on its length, safe in the knowledge that it will sail over the stumps.But how safe can a batsman feel when faced with Howell? Apart from his obvious tendency to give wrong decisions, it has been impossible to detect a pattern with Howell. May be it lies in his approach to tailenders. This morning he was happy to give Monty Panesar on the forward stretch against Anil Kumble. Panesar had no reason to quibble; he was dead in front. But on what account did he spare Paul Collingwood on the third day? Collingwood’s front foot was perhaps a few inches ahead, but as Ian Chappell remarked on television, if that wasn’t out, they might as well remove lbw as a mode of dismissal. And when he did give Collingwood out, the ball looked, irrespective of what you saw on Hawk-Eye, to be sliding past the leg stump.At Trent Bridge, he denied Panesar two lbws in his first two overs in India’s first innings. They were vital decisions, for they allowed Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer to swell the first-wicket partnership to 147, but he was happy to send back RP Singh and Sreesanth in quick succession: Singh looked out, but Sreesanth deserved the benefit of doubt.It’s futile labouring the point, but the lbw that he handed out to Ganguly has perhaps been the shocker of the series. Admittedly, the ball has been swinging exaggeratedly, sometimes changing path after passing the batsman. But this was a deviation palpably off the bat. If he didn’t hear the nick, he should have seen it. Was he late in looking up? If he was, it was a schoolboy error from an international umpire.Which raises the next question. Should Howell have been standing in the series in the first place? Of course, the ICC cannot be blamed for not anticipating the errors, but Howell is not part of the elite panel, and since no other international cricket is on at the moment, those appointing umpires had a full list to choose from. Were none of them available?It is sad that umpires rarely get the credit for a job well done. In that, they are like wicketkeepers. Matt Prior has become the object of ridicule after two bad matches; it’s only fair that the heat is now turned on Howell.Should umpire Ian Howell, who is not part of the ICC’s Elite panel, have stood in the Oval Test? Tell us here